Erik Stokkebye Resigns

In a sudden, surprise announcement, Pipes Magazine just learned that Erik Stokkebye has resigned as President of Villiger-Stokkebye International, effective immediately. Roy MacLaren is the new President of the company. Mr. MacLaren has previously worked for Gurkha Cigars, and has over 30 years of experience in the tobacco industry. Stokkebye’s resignation comes on the heels of Lane Limited taking over distribution of the Stokkebye and other pipe tobacco lines. MacLaren’s entry to the leadership role of the company is seen as a move to have the company steered towards a greater presence in the cigar market. Villiger-Stokkebye has been more of a pipe tobacco company that also sells cigars, but now it appears they will working towards the reverse of that.

At this point, it is unknown where Erik Stokkebye will resurface, but Pipes Magazine will strive to stay on top of this news.

Following are two separate letters received from Villiger-Stokkebye International with the news.

After speaking to the Brand Manager at Lane, none of the Stokkebye (or Villiger-Stokkebye) tobaccos are going anywhere. There will be shortages over the next few weeks but they expect to have an even greater supply of all of these tobaccos by mid-April.

After speaking to the Brand Manager at Lane, none of the Stokkebye (or Villiger-Stokkebye) tobaccos are going anywhere. There will be shortages over the next few weeks but they expect to have an even greater supply of all of these tobaccos by mid-April.

Fwew! I have been meaning to restock my supply of LNF for a while now. I'd be heartbroken if it went out of production.

Fwew! I have been meaning to restock my supply of LNF for a while now. I'd be heartbroken if it went out of production.

Lane is taking over the following: Orlik, Stanwell, W.O. Larson, Peter Stokkebye, Escudo, Erinmore, Balkan Sasieni, and a few others. Blends, prices and the facilities that manufacture the tobaccos are not changing, which is great news.

My own understanding is that the biggest change will be for some retailers. Villiger-Stokkebye still had about 25% of their customers buying direct, whereas the rest were buying via wholesalers. Everyone will buy from wholesalers now.

It’s almost like a high-profile, celebrity-marriage break-up … or love-triangle kind of story … at least to pipe smokers. The immensely popular and historied Peter Stokkebye Pipe Tobacco line will ironically no longer be marketed by the US company sharing the same family name—Villiger-Stokkebye International. Starting April 1, 2012, Lane Limited of Tucker, GA will be the new U.S. distributor for Stokkebye tobaccos, as well as most of the other brands formerly distributed by Villiger-Stokkebye. These include: Orlik, W.Ø. Larsen, Stanwell, Erinmore, Escudo, Balkan Sasieni, Skandinavik, Sail Tobaccos, and Troost Tobaccos.

The Stokkebye family’s roots in tobacco can be traced as far back as the early-1880s when Erik-Peter Stokkebye became a cigar roller and opened his own retail shop in Odense, Denmark. In 1886, he bought out seven small tobacco manufacturers of cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco to bring them all under one roof. Erik-Peter’s son, Erik-Poul worked in the tobacco business starting in the early 1900s—in Sumatra, Indonesia. He started by learning growing, fermentation and packing, and within four years was promoted to Inspector. In 1925, he moved back to Denmark and joined the family business. He eventually started his own company; the Erik Stokkebye Tobacco Co. It was around 1945 at the end of World War II, that Peter Stokkebye, (for whom the modern Stokkebye tobacco line is named) at only 15-years old, began to apprentice in the tobacco business. The Erik Stokkebye Tobacco Co. was later sold to Gallaher Tobacco Company of England, and became a subsidiary run by Peter Stokkebye.

In 1974, Peter decided it was time to run his own company again, and he started the Peter Stokkebye Tobacco Company. In 1977, a U.S. distribution center was established in South River, New Jersey. Peter’s oldest son, Erik, joined the family business in 1987 as a fourth generation member who earned a reputation as a sales and marketing expert, after apprenticing for many years in the tobacco business. Erik Stokkebye became President of Peter Stokkebye International, a division of Orlik Tobacco, in 1999. He has been the President of Villiger-Stokkebye International in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past 12-years.